Dance Class
by Anonymous Nerd Girl
Summary: AU Drabbles. Preteen Rumbelle based off Marilyn Hotchkiss. I can't resist, I'm doing more of these. Little drabbles from the shared childhood of Belle and Rum. I'm now taking prompts! Hit up the reviews or PM me if there is a Child!Rumbelle story you'd like to see;)
1. Dance Class

**Tumblr has been flooded with awesome mini-fics about young OUAT characters. I couldn't resist. This short Drabble is based off of Marilyn Hotchkiss. It's a mini- but it's not the size that matters, it's what you do with it.**

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He did not mean to give her a black eye. It was an accident. He wasn't even sure how it happened. He hated playing British Bulldog. Rum's reputation took a hard hit that day, and Belle's Dad wouldn't let him in their home to apologize. Most of the guys in his class were sympathetic to his plight, except for Victor Whale. He congratulated him- what a boner.

His aunt and uncle didn't have cash for the dance lessons, but Rum had been saving money since he was four. He had to borrow his cousin's old suit, but it fit better than most of his hand-me-downs. He shelled out another five dollars for a red rose. Gods, he hoped the plan would work.

Miss Astrid Nova was a flakey bird, giving the assembled group of twelve year olds a windy speech about manners, dancing, and shades of magenta. After her initial gust she focused most of her energy on "demonstrating the proper technique" by slow dancing in a corner with Mr. Leroy, the building's janitor.

Rum was lucky that Belle's name had been pencilled onto his dance card, even if she was number eleven. Mary Margaret was nice enough, although she was clearly terrified. Ruby Lucas growled at him as he repeated, "It was an accident" for the millionth time. Regina just laughed in his face when he asked her for a dance (asking was mandatory).

Rum decided he was done waiting after that. Whale was supposed to be Belle's next partner, but he discovered he had a leg cramp when Rum threatened to tell Miss Nova he had little mirrors on his shoes. He was such a boner.

Belle sat down on one of the folding chairs when she found herself without a partner. Rum had a vivid image of Belle punching him in the face as he slowly approached her.

"May I have the pleasure of this dance, Miss?" Rum was surprised by how deep his voice came out. Asking Belle to dance felt real, not fake like it had with the other girls. He offered her the rose.

Belle hesitated for half a second, "I would love to, kind sir."

With a combination of blackmail, intimidation, and bribery Rum made sure he was Belle's only dance partner for the duration of dance class. He wasn't sure, but he thought two and a half hours of dancing with Belle French really had colored his world in shades of magenta.


	2. Let's Be Friends

**Pre-school!Rumbelle.**

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"Why do you spin so much?" Belle asked the skinny little boy under the tree.

He stopped suddenly and giggled,

" 'Cuz it's fun."

Belle had been watching the little boy almost a week, since their first day. He always seemed to be alone and it made her sad. Today was the first time she saw him laugh and it made her laugh too.

"Can I spin with you?"

The boy nodded, but looked surprised when she grabbed his hands. They twirled in a drunken dance until gravity pulled them down into a shrieking giggling heap.

"My name's Rum," the boy panted trying to sit up.

"I'm Belle." The little girl smiled, reminding Rum of a Christmas angel. "Let's be friends."


	3. Tea for Two?

**This is Elderly!Rumbelle. Yet another fun Tumblr trend in the making!**

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Rum cleared his throat and blew on his tea before he settled down in front of the tv. He hated all the reality shows and daytime trash, but he paid one of the security clowns to give him access to the security feed.

The old fools living in the complex were ever predictable. Mary Margaret and David were showing off pictures of their grandson to anyone that would make eye contact. Ruby Hopper was challenging her husband to a race- Rum couldn't think why. She beat him every time in spite of the fact that his wheel chair was electric while hers was manual.

Only one person really caught his eye, she was the only person who ever had. A glass of iced tea in one hand and a large- print paperback in the other, Belle was unaware that even though her husband complained that he wanted some alone time they were really spending the afternoon together.


	4. Latin Lessons

**This is for VeniVediVici!**

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The nuns HATED Rum, he was sure his knuckles had more encounters with Mother Superior's ruler than any other student's. The thought of The Ghorm chaperoning his slow dances with Belle was less than ideal, but he was still sure prom would be the best night of his life.

Of course The Ghorm caught him passing the note to Belle. He had to admit that asking a girl to prom by note was a little lame- cowardly even, but he hoped his little twist would win him the answer he wanted.

"Rumford Gold, I hope you won't mind sharing that with the rest of the class." The Ghorm wasn't that old or ugly and mostly well liked, but something about her felt like poison to Rum. Maybe he was allergic to the bat.

Rum stood up next to his desk, trying hard not to slump. Regina leered at him from the head of the class, while David Nolan shot him a sympathetic smile. No one ever changed in this town. Rum took a big deep breath and allowed himself half a second's eye contact with Belle.

"Nunquam amavit hodie te amo et amabo te, cras amet. Amantium lunaticos. Vade ad promit mecum."

Gold glanced about the room, only Mary Margaret seemed to understand the Latin. He hazarded another look at Belle, but her eyes were downcast. She saw the ruler come out before he did.

Twenty minutes of class passed and the pain in his hand warred with the sting of rejection. Belle coughed loudly and stood holding a note of her own. "Pick mihi sursum procul six." She smiled at Rum before turning to glare at Mother Superior. The expression on her face as she offered up her knuckles dared The Ghorm to not give her the same treatment as Rum.

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**The Latin translates to something like, "I love you today as I have never loved before, and I will love you tomorrow as well. Lovers are lunatics. Go to prom with me." Belle's answer is basically, "Pick me up at six."**


	5. Crocodile Tears

**Teen! Rumbelle. A different interpretation of Crocodile.**

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Fourteen was an awkward year for Rum. He was, as his aunt was fond of telling him, all knees and elbows. Acne too. On an ordinary day he would have looked comical in his second hand suit, the suit that had been a touch too large at twelve was now a touch too small. On an ordinary day Rum wouldn't be seen looking so shabby, but today there was no choice.

Rum sat in the back of the funeral parlor. He was supposed to be in the front with his family, but he couldn't do it. There was no way he would ever make nice with Him. Rum's mind wandered during the service, the funeral director obviously didn't know his mom and was running on the usual filler. The whole thing was like a bland, boring nightmare.

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Belle found him in the cemetery. The funeral must have ended hours earlier, the grave had already been filled in. "Your aunt called me, Rum."

"Called you what?"

"Ha, ha." Belle took a half-step closer. "Can I walk you home?"

Rum shook his head refusing to meet her eyes.

"Your stepdad. He said something to you didn't he?" Belle flinched at her own question.

"Killian Jones is NOT my stepdad!" Rum shouted turning to glare at Belle. "They never got married."

"Something happened, Rum. I know it did."

"He said this was my fault." Rum's voice was flat and tired. "He said I ripped her heart out."

"You couldn't have went back with her Rum. You know that! And it's not your fault she overdosed. He's the one that got her hooked."

For the first time that day Rum let himself cry. "No one can ever love me, Belle. No one."

"That's not true." Belle wanted to cry too, but held it in. "Your aunt and uncle love you, that's why they wanted me to find you."

Rum ignored her. "They don't. No one does. My own mother didn't even love me. She chose him."

Belle didn't try to say anything else. Sometimes words couldn't fix things, being there was the best she could do. She hoped it was enough to let him know that at least one person did love him. Someday she would be brave enough to tell him she always had.


End file.
